


Science Fair Romance and a Secret Shared

by Dophne



Category: Marvel, Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe, Established Bucky Barnes/Steve Rogers, Fluff, Getting Together, Identity Reveal, M/M, Not Actually Unrequited Love, Not Canon Compliant, Pining, Science Fairs, Secret Identity, Tony is 22 worry not, Tony is a bit pessimistic about himself but the boys shower him in compliments, Young!Tony, older Steve/Bucky, science geek Steve/Bucky, volunteering
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-25
Updated: 2019-05-25
Packaged: 2020-03-14 16:03:47
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,108
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18951433
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Dophne/pseuds/Dophne
Summary: Tony has been volunteering at the national science fair in New York since he was ten years old. He enjoyed getting away from playing the public persona of "Tony Stark" even if it was just for a few hours a day on a single weekend. But what happens when you meet two of your teammates at the said fair who you are very much in love with?





	Science Fair Romance and a Secret Shared

**Author's Note:**

> this is for the stuckony server exchange event! I hope you like your gift! :3

Tony Stark walked into the convention hall with a large mug of coffee, his favorite pair of sunglasses and one of his, already fading, rock band t-shirt. It was the start of the national science fair held every year in New York and Tony was excited. He had been volunteering at this event since he was ten. Tony enjoyed being a part of the behind the scenes group. Where no one really cared who he was. Where he could be just another face in the endless crowd.

Being a twenty-two-year-old genius who not only ran his own company but was secretly a superhero known as Ironman was exhausting. Tony had decided to keep his superhero identity a secret since he was only nineteen when he created the suit to destroy the illegal weapons that his godfather sold under the table. It has been three years since and only a handful of people knew he was Ironman. Not even his teammates on the superhero team known as the Avengers knew…well not yet anyway. Tony had been planning on telling his team especially Steve Rogers aka Captain America aka the co-leader of the ragtag team of heroes someday soon.

With all the daily pressures that came with being who he was, it was nice to have a few days away from it all. Where Tony didn’t have to wear his façade for the world. He could pretend for a few moments that he was not a Stark but just Tony and it seemed to work out pretty well throughout the years. Except for this year when fate decided to meddle in his affairs…

Tony had been hopping between booths helping participants with their projects and holding long conversations with them as the event really began to start. It has been a long hour and a half for Tony as judging started and the halls filled with onlookers who had come to check out the innovations as well.

It was hour three of the convention when Tony accidentally dropped his screwdriver while getting distracted talking to a contestant about their discovery when Tony heard all too familiar voices speak up behind him. What were _they_ doing here?

“Why hello there,” Barnes greeted Tony’s bent over ass, his voice full of amusement. Tony felt himself blush from knowing that Barnes was checking out his ass. Normally, Tony would have a snarky remark to throw back at him but since he was expecting neither Barnes or Rogers to be here Tony could find the right response to throw back at him.

“Buck that is not a nice thing to say to someone you don’t-oh hey Tony,” Rogers had cut off mid-reprimand to greet Tony who had quickly stood back up and turned around to face them.

“What are you guys doing here?” Tony asked feeling himself get his composure back a little taking a small step back.

“Well Buck and I were talking about how we enjoyed going to the Stark Expo back in the day and since it hasn’t started up yet this year, we had decided to find something else and Sam then told us about the science fair happening this weekend. It’s really cool to see what the future generations are creating and seeing all this talent fill a room like this. The little science fiction nerd in me is having a blast,” Rogers answered smiling politely at Tony. Tony had to remind himself that to Rogers he didn’t know Tony Stark all that well. Tony had made sure to keep their meetings to a minimum in fear that either them or Nat would put the pieces together and discover that he and Ironman were one and the same.

“It’s our fourth date since Stevie asked me out and if I recall it was always me draggin’ this punk to these shows and expos for science. He likes to act like it was his thing, but it was more mine, but I knew I could get Stevie sucked into like I was,” Barnes followed up with a flashy smile that always sent Tony shivers whenever he saw it.

“What about you Tony? What ya doing here?” Rogers asked leaning forward a bit in curiosity. The man always tended to get into people’s space. It was a habit of his and often it worked really well in his favor.

Tony really hated that he was half in love with these two men. He knew them as Ironman, and he yearned for them to treat Tony Stark like how they do their best pal Ironman but if they knew the truth…Tony feared they would not appreciate that it was him behind the mask.

“I volunteer here every year,” Tony answered smoothly turning slightly to get back to work on the kid’s project helping him screw in the last few bolts before it was his turn to present, “I have been doing so since I was ten. The best way for me to give back to the community. Great for PR and all that jazz.”

With his back turned to the two men he missed their dejected looks before they schooled their features. Tony always did downplay his achievements and kindness as ‘PR stunts’. They knew better though. They have seen Tony at galas and fundraisers working his ass off to get donations and visiting the charities to be sure that the money was being put to use correctly. Tony Stark was an honorary member of the Avengers team and was a hero in his own way and right. A lot of people say that just not Tony.

“I call bullshit,” Barnes deadpanned causing both Rogers and Tony to turn to look at him bewildered. Neither expected him to say that.

“Barnes-” “-I call bullshit because we both know you don’t do this for PR or the press would be all over here tryin’ to get a picture of you. You got a mind on you that could run circles around most people especially me and Stevie here and you create all the Avengers’ tech and maintain Ironman’s armor for him too. Don’t downplay yourself,” Barnes cut in again his expression serious as if he meant every word he spoke. Tony felt his heart flutter.

“We always thought you were amazing Tony. We never really got a chance to interact with you much outside of galas and fundraisers. It’s nice to see you in something other than a fancy suit and a plastic smile. I am a big fan of your work Tony and you keep one of our best friends safe by constantly working on his armor and that makes me really happy,” Rogers added in causing Tony to feel himself get all flustered once again.

Damn these two men. Why can’t they just leave him alone? He tried to keep himself distant from them but they had wormed their way into his life through Ironman and now they were trying to get to know Tony Stark. This was extremely dangerous.

“Um Mr. Stark,” the kid spoke up pulling Tony away from his mental freak out over the super soldiers’ words and back to the present at hand.

“Sorry kid,” Tony apologized as he smiled sheepishly at him getting to work and finishing up the rest of the setup for the kid. When Tony turned around, he expected Barnes and Rogers to have moved on but the two were just standing there watching intently as Tony helped the participant out.

 

* * *

 

Tony had ignored the two soldiers who seemed to have decided to follow Tony around as he helped out in the engineering section of the fair. Both bombarded him with questions and compliments not really letting him slip away from them. Those two were stubborn on their own but put them together? It was an impossible combination. Still, Tony tried to resist them even though he knew it was a losing battle.

It took to almost the end of the fair day for Tony to crack and succumb to their will. He hates to admit defeat, but he was tired and he knew that they could wear him down even more without missing a beat so, for now, Tony let them in.

“Let’s go get some burgers from the diner a few blocks from here. I am starving and since neither of you want to leave me alone you are going to keep me company as I eat my delicious greasy foods,” Tony announced as he shucked off his volunteering vest and gave back his equipment to the event volunteer coordinator. Tony watched both Rogers and Barnes smile widely at him and Tony knew that he really was screwed for life.

After ordering an extremely large amount of food for all of them, Tony turned to Barnes and Rogers and decided to turn the tables on them a bit. He began to drill them about their thoughts on all the Avengers purposefully leaving out Ironman because a part of him was terrified to hear what they thought of the person behind the mask.

“Would you be mad at discovering the identity of Ironman if it was someone you knew?” Tony blurted out in the middle of both Barnes and Rogers taking a bite of their fifth burgers. Barnes paused pulling away from his burger while Rogers placed it back on the plate to contemplate the loaded question. Tony really did not mean to throw that out there.

“Ironman is entitled to his secrets and although I might be hurt that he doesn’t trust me enough to tell me yet but if or when he does I would be happy knowing that I earned enough of his loyalty and trust for him to share that part of himself with me,” Steve answered after a couple of minutes of silence.

“It would suck but I understand not telling anyone about who you are. That is a part of your identity and no one can take that away from you. It would be an honor to know that I got the chance to share that secret with him,” Bucky answered once Steve finished his answer and immediately dived back into taking a large bite of his burger.

It seemed that both men had put a lot of thought into this question and so had Tony for obviously different reasons. But now the more he hung out with them the less he really understood why he has continued to keep the secret of who he was for a year.

Maybe it was time to tell them. They did earn that trust from him long ago. It was _himself_ that he couldn’t trust.

“Come to the lab tomorrow morning…I have something I would like to show you,” Tony blurted as they finished up their food causing both super soldiers to freeze momentarily. Tony rushed out of the diner without waiting for a response from either of them.

 

* * *

 

Tony adorned the suit and held the newest mark’s helmet in his hands as he waited for Rogers and Barnes to show up to the lab. He contemplated wearing the helmet but somehow, he knew that if he put it on he would back out of this decision. Tony was not going to let his fear rule him any longer. They deserved to know.

“Sir both Rogers and Barnes are in the elevator on the way down to the workshop,” JARVIS informed Tony moments later forcing Tony away from his panicky thoughts. It was now or never.

“Let ‘em in J,” Tony commanded steeling himself as he turned towards the elevator doors while adorning the suit. He gripped tight on the helmet trying to keep himself grounded as he waited for the two men to enter.

Then they were there walking into the lab curiously before both their eyes landed on Tony. They stopped in their tracks and stared at him for a long moment as he stood there waiting for a response unsure of what will happen next.

Barnes broke the long silent staring contest saying, “I fucking called it. Clint owes me fifty bucks.”

“Well, I guess that answers our first question,” Rogers walked towards Tony with Bucky following close after and taking the helmet from his hands and placing it gently on the table.

Tony stared at Rogers and Barnes still confused but a little hopeful as Steve took one hand in his and Barnes took the other. They both gave each other one last look before turning to back to Tony and both asking at the same time, “will you go out with us?”

Safe to say that Tony fainted a moment later.


End file.
